The present application relates to a non-planar semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same. More particularly, the present application relates to a method of forming a self aligned trench isolation structure between various arrays of semiconductor fins and to enable bottom up epitaxial growth of a semiconductor material to enhance strain benefit within the resultant non-planar semiconductor structure.
For more than three decades, the continued miniaturization of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) has driven the worldwide semiconductor industry. Various showstoppers to continued scaling have been predicated for decades, but a history of innovation has sustained Moore's Law in spite of many challenges. However, there are growing signs today that metal oxide semiconductor transistors are beginning to reach their traditional scaling limits. Since it has become increasingly difficult to improve MOSFETs and therefore complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) performance through continued scaling, further methods for improving performance in addition to scaling have become critical.
The use of non-planar semiconductor devices such as, for example, semiconductor fin field effect transistors (finFETs) is the next step in the evolution of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices. Semiconductor fin field effect transistors (FETs) can achieve higher drive currents with increasingly smaller dimensions as compared to conventional planar FETs.
One known problem with conventional finFETs is the diminishing stain benefit due to difficulty in growing high quality epitaxial silicon germanium alloys from semiconductor fins that are narrowly spaced apart. Thus, a method is needed that solves this and other problems that are associated with forming finFETs.